Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) has been named to the first-ever Barron's 100 Most Sustainable Companies list. Cognizant ranks number 16 on the leading financial publication's analysis of the environmental, social and governance practices of large U.S. publicly traded companies.
Barron's worked with sustainable-investing firm Calvert Research and Management, a unit of Eaton Vance, to create the rankings. Calvert analyzed the 1,000 largest publicly traded companies based in the U.S. on more than 300 performance indicators from a variety of independent sources. The companies were rated in five categories covering shareholders, employees, customers, planet, and community. Calvert produced a sustainability score for the companies and ranked the top 100 from highest to lowest, with Cognizant positioned at number 16.
Sustainability is an integral part of Cognizant's business with a focus on initiatives to improve education in communities; reduce the impact of its operations; provide a safe workplace and professional development opportunities for its employees; maintain high standards of business conduct; and to deliver superior service and tangible business advantages to clients.
"At Cognizant, we believe it is not just our responsibility to apply our technology expertise, passion for innovation and energy to the evolving needs of our clients, but also to our communities, our environment and our colleagues," said Francisco D'Souza, Cognizant's Chief Executive Officer. "We are proud to be recognized on the inaugural Barron's 100 Most Sustainable Companies list. We believe that in addition to positive financial performance, hallmarks of a well-managed company include strong governance, a high standard of ethics, and development of our communities and associates."
As part of its corporate social responsibility efforts, Cognizant recently announced the formation of a new non-profit foundation to support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and digital education and skills initiatives for U.S. workers and students. The new foundation, being established with an initial grant of $100 million, will fund STEM education and skills programs, public-private partnerships and other initiatives to help prepare American workers and students for roles in the digital economy. The new foundation will build on Cognizant's global commitment to training technology professionals, reskilling and upskilling workers, and giving back to local communities.